Methuen dates to 1642, and 26% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 92% of U.S. towns · #122 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
43 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 51 buildings between them. Below: 7 old photos and papers, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1812.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Methuen’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Methuen is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns, #122 of 283 in Massachusetts. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Methuen’s overall grade.
Massachusetts towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Massachusetts town has 46.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Methuen’s 18.7 sits below most of its state (35% of Massachusetts towns have fewer) while its 100 historic buildings outnumber those of 89% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A+. The pre-1940 share (±2.5 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1642.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Methuen’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Methuen was first settled in 1642 and was officially incorporated in 1726. Methuen was originally part of Haverhill, Massachusetts. In 1724 Stephen Barker and others in the western part of that town petitioned the General Court to grant them permission to form a new town above Hawke's Meadow Brook. Although opposed by their fellow townsmen, the petition was approved the following year (December 8, 1725), and the General Court gave them an act of incorporation under the name of Methuen. The town was named for Sir Paul Methuen, a member of the King's Privy Council and friend of acting Provincial Governor William Dummer. The first town meeting was held on March 9, 1726, in the home of a resident. The land was set aside for a meetinghouse, which was erected later in 1726 on what is now Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
In 1642, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Methuen’s post office opened in 1812, and the first U.S. census counted 1,297 people here in 1790.
How does Methuen rank for history?
Methuen is more historic than 92% of U.S. towns, #122 of 283 in Massachusetts. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Methuen?
43 listings: 37 buildings, among them the First Church Congregational (listed 1978, the first), 2 historic districts, the Pleasant-High Historic District and the Spicket Falls Historic District, with 51 contributing buildings, 3 sites, and 1 structure. 100 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Methuen?
26% of Methuen’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.5 points), against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town; the median home was built in 1968.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (5), the Library of Congress (2), Wikidata (10), the National Register of Historic Places (43), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
c. 1890
c. 1890
c. 1900